S.1055 - A bill to grant the congressional gold medal, collectively, to the 100th Infantry Battalion and the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, United States Army, in recognition of their dedicated service during World War II.111th Congress (2009-2010)

Text available as:

Shown Here:Public Law No: 111-254 (10/05/2010)

[111th Congress Public Law 254]
[From the U.S. Government Printing Office]
[[Page 124 STAT. 2637]]
Public Law 111-254
111th Congress
An Act
To grant the congressional gold medal, collectively, to the 100th
Infantry Battalion and the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, United States
Army, in recognition of their dedicated service during World War
II. <<NOTE: Oct. 5, 2010 - [S. 1055]>>
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled, <<NOTE: 31 USC 5111
note.>>
SECTION 1. FINDINGS.
Congress makes the following findings:
(1) On January 19, 1942, 6 weeks after the December 7, 1941,
attack on Pearl Harbor by the Japanese Navy, the United States
Army discharged all Japanese-Americans in the Reserve Officers
Training Corps and changed their draft status to ``4C''--the
status of ``enemy alien'' which is ineligible for the draft.
(2) On January 23, 1942, Japanese-Americans in the military
on the mainland were segregated out of their units.
(3) Further, on May 3, 1942, General John L. DeWitt issued
Civilian Exclusion Order No. 346, ordering all people of
Japanese ancestry, whether citizens or noncitizens, to report to
assembly centers, where they would live until being moved to
permanent relocation centers.
(4) On June 5, 1942, 1,432 predominantly Nisei (second
generation Americans of Japanese ancestry) members of the Hawaii
Provisional Infantry Battalion were shipped from the Hawaiian
Islands to Oakland, CA, where the 100th Infantry Battalion was
activated on June 12, 1942, and then shipped to train at Camp
McCoy, Wisconsin.
(5) The excellent training record of the 100th Infantry
Battalion and petitions from prominent civilian and military
personnel helped convince President Roosevelt and the War
Department to reopen military service to Nisei volunteers who
were incorporated into the 442nd Regimental Combat Team after it
was activated in February of 1943.
(6) In that same month, the 100th Infantry Battalion was
transferred to Camp Shelby, Mississippi, where it continued to
train, and even though the battalion was ready to deploy shortly
thereafter, the battalion was refused by General Eisenhower, due
to concerns over the loyalty and patriotism of the Nisei.
(7) The 442nd Regimental Combat Team later trained with the
100th Infantry Battalion at Camp Shelby in May of 1943.
(8) Eventually, the 100th Infantry Battalion was deployed to
the Mediterranean and entered combat in Italy on September 26,
1943.
[[Page 124 STAT. 2638]]
(9) Due to their bravery and valor, members of the Battalion
were honored with 6 awards of the Distinguished Service Cross in
the first 8 weeks of combat.
(10) The 100th Battalion fought at Cassino, Italy in January
1944, and later accompanied the 34th Infantry Division to Anzio,
Italy.
(11) The 442nd Regimental Combat Team arrived in
Civitavecchia, Italy on June 7, 1944, and on June 15 of the
following week, the 100th Infantry Battalion was formally made
an integral part of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, and fought
for the last 11 months of the war with distinction in Italy,
southern France, and Germany.
(12) The battalion was awarded the Presidential Unit
Citation for its actions in battle on June 26-27, 1944.
(13) The 442nd Regimental became the most decorated unit in
United States military history for its size and length of
service.
(14) The 100th Battalion and the 442nd Regimental Combat
Team, received 7 Presidential Unit Citations, 21 Medals of
Honor, 29 Distinguished Service Crosses, 560 Silver Stars, 4,000
Bronze Stars, 22 Legion of Merit Medals, 15 Soldier's Medals,
and over 4,000 Purple Hearts, among numerous additional
distinctions.
(15) The United States remains forever indebted to the
bravery, valor, and dedication to country these men faced while
fighting a 2-fronted battle of discrimination at home and
fascism abroad.
(16) Their commitment and sacrifice demonstrates a highly
uncommon and commendable sense of patriotism and honor.
(17) The Military Intelligence Service (in this Act referred
to as the ``MIS'') was made up of about 6,000 Japanese American
soldiers who conducted highly classified intelligence operations
that proved to be vital to United States military successes in
the Pacific Theatre.
(18) As they were discharged from the Army, MIS soldiers
were told not to discuss their wartime work, due to its
sensitive nature, and their contributions were not known until
passage of the Freedom of Information Act in 1974.
(19) MIS soldiers were attached individually or in small
groups to United States and Allied combat units, where they
intercepted radio transmissions, translated enemy documents,
interrogated enemy prisoners of war, volunteered for
reconnaissance and covert intelligence missions, and persuaded
enemy combatants to surrender.
(20) Their contributions continued during the Allied postwar
occupation of Japan, and MIS linguistic skills and understanding
of Japanese customs were invaluable to occupation forces as they
assisted Japan in a peaceful transition to a new, democratic
form of government.
SEC. 2. CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL.
(a) Award Authorized.--The Speaker of the House of Representatives
and the President pro tempore of the Senate shall make appropriate
arrangements for the award, on behalf of the Congress, of a single gold
medal of appropriate design to the 100th Infantry Battalion, the 442nd
Regimental Combat Team, and the
[[Page 124 STAT. 2639]]
Military Intelligence Service, United States Army, collectively, in
recognition of their dedicated service during World War II.
(b) Design and Striking.--For the purposes of the award referred to
in subsection (a), the Secretary of the Treasury (hereafter in this Act
referred to as the ``Secretary'') shall strike the gold medal with
suitable emblems, devices, and inscriptions, to be determined by the
Secretary.
(c) Smithsonian Institution.--
(1) In general.--Following the award of the gold medal in
honor of the 100th Infantry Battalion, the 442nd Regimental
Combat Team, and the Military Intelligence Service, United
States Army, under subsection (a), the gold medal shall be given
to the Smithsonian Institution, where it will be displayed as
appropriate and made available for research.
(2) Sense of congress.--It is the sense of the Congress that
the Smithsonian Institution should make the gold medal received
under paragraph (1) available for display elsewhere,
particularly at other appropriate locations associated with the
100th Infantry Battalion, the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, and
the Military Intelligence Service, United States Army.
SEC. 3. DUPLICATE MEDALS.
The Secretary may strike and sell duplicates in bronze of the gold
medal struck under section 2, at a price sufficient to cover the costs
of the medals, including labor, materials, dies, use of machinery, and
overhead expenses.
SEC. 4. NATIONAL MEDALS.
Medals struck pursuant to this Act are national medals for purposes
of chapter 51 of title 31, United States Code.
SEC. 5. AUTHORITY TO USE FUNDS; PROCEEDS OF SALE.
(a) Authority To Use Funds.--There is authorized to be charged
against the United States Mint Public Enterprise Fund, an amount not to
exceed $30,000 to pay for the cost of the medal authorized under section
2.
(b) Proceeds of Sale.--Amounts received from the sale of duplicate
bronze medals under section 3 shall be deposited in the United States
Mint Public Enterprise Fund.
Approved October 5, 2010.
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY--S. 1055 (H.R. 347):
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CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, Vol. 156 (2010):
Aug. 2, considered and passed Senate.
Sept. 23, considered and passed House.
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